The heart of any tourist destination or the backbone of a rich cultural state’s economy is hospitality. History stands witness that India has always taken pride and royal interest in the comfort and enthusiasm of its guests. Hence, the hotels or the temporary abodes, as I call them, have evolved as a challenging and booming fashion as ever.
I remember when I was staying with a known hotel, the ambience, decor, details, furniture arrangement, lighting, etc., of the entrance lobby were so intricately studied and executed that you subconsciously knew the luxurious/ royal treatment you would get at your fingertips, right from the valet opening your car door to the bell boy assisting you till your room.
But, in a broader picture, the layout of the entire inanimate objects, viz. the furniture pieces, flower arrangements, rugs, centre tables, drapes, etc., is as crucial as the taste of food served on your platter. The space utilisation or development of the ambience in a hotel space varies according to the design lines or the hotel standards.
Just as the shoes of a man speak of his status, the entrance of the hotel speaks a lot of its standards and grandeur. The entrance should be cordial as it is the introduction to the space beyond. Use of glass, proportionate larger vases or any other accessories will make the entrance look virtually grander. The main lobby is the area in which various activities take place simultaneously. Hence, it should be very spacious and minimalistic. A waiting area with various seating arrangements viz. a formal couch, a settee clubbed with a high back chair or a wing chair, etc. and a centre table accessorised with coffee table books, a fresh flower arrangement and floor rugs/ carpets give a storyline to the arrangement. The respective desks like travel, currency, concierge, billing, etc. run along the walls of the plaza. Nowadays, as a designer, it is difficult to pen down thumb rules or norms for any design as it can be challenged if the user is not comfortable with it.
The restrooms can be an important case study as they are the most judgmental area of any hotel. Clean, stark white sanitary ware, chrome CP fittings, Italian marble flooring, wood and mirror work on the walls, and metamorphosis of the conventional use of ceramic tiles on the wall and the floor. This can be highlighted by freshly-cut flower arrangements; sanitised white hand towels; cologne sprays, fragrant toiletries, and the like.
The dining areas or the restaurants welcome the in-house as well as walk-in guests. As the space is more commercial than any other space in the hotel, the furniture placement is an important aspect of space designing so as to accommodate maximum number of customers simultaneously and also make it look uncluttered and not over-crowded. Usually, the bigger tables are arranged along the perimeter of the space and smaller ones in the core, maintaining the anthropometry of the traffic passage. Also, there are special seating arrangements for couples, big groups, etc. Generally, the dining chairs have low or no arm-rests. Upholstered floor, wooden chair frames with cushioned back and seat, circular or linear tables covered with fresh linen spreads and shallow vase with a candle or rose petals make it picturesque. The chrome cutlery and fine ceramic ware clubbed with crystal glasses or goblets add the finishing stroke to the table.
The bars can form the focal point of the restaurants if highlighted properly. Down lit, monochrome bar tables mainly in neon nowadays, metal-wood combination of high bar stools, and dim-lit liquor display in the background is the general idea that flashes across our minds. As lines are more in trend and tend to rarely go out of fashion, bar tables are preferred to be linear or curvilinear making it easy for the bartender to host his guests at the table. Usually, the bar-ware is on display to make it easier and transparent to the customer of what is being used for his order. Besides the drinks on the menu, the ambience of a bar is equally important. Dim lights or mood lighting, cosy warm decor, pastel colours, trendy wall pieces etc. are a few tips for the same.
The rooms of a hotel are designed according to the hierarchy, viz. presidential suites, service apartments, deluxe rooms, etc. The basic furniture of the rooms remains the same — bed, study table, chair, seating, wardrobe, etc. But their design or quantification changes as per the tariff of the respective room types. The presidential suites are lavish and have a king-size bed, with or without posters (depending on the design theme followed); a settee in front of the bed; a separate study table; lounge seating, a separate living room with TV cabinet, couch, bar; a dining or breakfast table with four chairs, a walk-in-wardrobe, etc. The service apartments are as good as residential apartments with a separate kitchen, walk-in wardrobe, etc. The super deluxe and deluxe rooms have the same basic furniture. Higher the hierarchies of the rooms more are the amenities and grander is the scale. Curtains, if starting from the ceiling, make the space looks virtually big. Hotels usually follow a particular colour theme if they are part of a chain and it is more leaning towards beige, greens and blue or other subtle cool colour schemes. This makes the space look fresh, clean and minimalist.
The lighting of any space is very crucial as it may make the room look beautiful or dull. Light requirements of different areas are different. For example, the main lobby of the hotel should be more lit than the restaurant, as the ambience desired is different respectively. The restaurant requires a warm, cosy ambience and hence, has dim lights or mood lights. The main lobby requires more illumination as it is the directive zone to different areas of the hotel. They can have huge chandeliers, ceiling lights, picture lights to enhance the artwork displayed in the corridors. The toilets are brightly lit with yellow or white lights. Bedrooms have different kinds of lights, viz. reading lights, night lamps, ambience lights, etc.
It is very important for all spaces to be married to each other for the right message to reach the guests and this responsibility rests with the design and decor complimented by the service of the hotel.
Designing the ‘Folk-n-Knife’
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The heart of any tourist destination or the backbone of a rich cultural state’s economy is hospitality. History stands witness that India has always taken pride and royal interest in the comfort and enthusiasm of its guests. Hence, the hotels or the temporary abodes, as I call them, have evolved as a challenging and booming fashion as ever.
I remember when I was staying with a known hotel, the ambience, decor, details, furniture arrangement, lighting, etc., of the entrance lobby were so intricately studied and executed that you subconsciously knew the luxurious/ royal treatment you would get at your fingertips, right from the valet opening your car door to the bell boy assisting you till your room.
But, in a broader picture, the layout of the entire inanimate objects, viz. the furniture pieces, flower arrangements, rugs, centre tables, drapes, etc., is as crucial as the taste of food served on your platter. The space utilisation or development of the ambience in a hotel space varies according to the design lines or the hotel standards.
Just as the shoes of a man speak of his status, the entrance of the hotel speaks a lot of its standards and grandeur. The entrance should be cordial as it is the introduction to the space beyond. Use of glass, proportionate larger vases or any other accessories will make the entrance look virtually grander. The main lobby is the area in which various activities take place simultaneously. Hence, it should be very spacious and minimalistic. A waiting area with various seating arrangements viz. a formal couch, a settee clubbed with a high back chair or a wing chair, etc. and a centre table accessorised with coffee table books, a fresh flower arrangement and floor rugs/ carpets give a storyline to the arrangement. The respective desks like travel, currency, concierge, billing, etc. run along the walls of the plaza. Nowadays, as a designer, it is difficult to pen down thumb rules or norms for any design as it can be challenged if the user is not comfortable with it.
The restrooms can be an important case study as they are the most judgmental area of any hotel. Clean, stark white sanitary ware, chrome CP fittings, Italian marble flooring, wood and mirror work on the walls, and metamorphosis of the conventional use of ceramic tiles on the wall and the floor. This can be highlighted by freshly-cut flower arrangements; sanitised white hand towels; cologne sprays, fragrant toiletries, and the like.
The dining areas or the restaurants welcome the in-house as well as walk-in guests. As the space is more commercial than any other space in the hotel, the furniture placement is an important aspect of space designing so as to accommodate maximum number of customers simultaneously and also make it look uncluttered and not over-crowded. Usually, the bigger tables are arranged along the perimeter of the space and smaller ones in the core, maintaining the anthropometry of the traffic passage. Also, there are special seating arrangements for couples, big groups, etc. Generally, the dining chairs have low or no arm-rests. Upholstered floor, wooden chair frames with cushioned back and seat, circular or linear tables covered with fresh linen spreads and shallow vase with a candle or rose petals make it picturesque. The chrome cutlery and fine ceramic ware clubbed with crystal glasses or goblets add the finishing stroke to the table.
The bars can form the focal point of the restaurants if highlighted properly. Down lit, monochrome bar tables mainly in neon nowadays, metal-wood combination of high bar stools, and dim-lit liquor display in the background is the general idea that flashes across our minds. As lines are more in trend and tend to rarely go out of fashion, bar tables are preferred to be linear or curvilinear making it easy for the bartender to host his guests at the table. Usually, the bar-ware is on display to make it easier and transparent to the customer of what is being used for his order. Besides the drinks on the menu, the ambience of a bar is equally important. Dim lights or mood lighting, cosy warm decor, pastel colours, trendy wall pieces etc. are a few tips for the same.
The rooms of a hotel are designed according to the hierarchy, viz. presidential suites, service apartments, deluxe rooms, etc. The basic furniture of the rooms remains the same — bed, study table, chair, seating, wardrobe, etc. But their design or quantification changes as per the tariff of the respective room types. The presidential suites are lavish and have a king-size bed, with or without posters (depending on the design theme followed); a settee in front of the bed; a separate study table; lounge seating, a separate living room with TV cabinet, couch, bar; a dining or breakfast table with four chairs, a walk-in-wardrobe, etc. The service apartments are as good as residential apartments with a separate kitchen, walk-in wardrobe, etc. The super deluxe and deluxe rooms have the same basic furniture. Higher the hierarchies of the rooms more are the amenities and grander is the scale. Curtains, if starting from the ceiling, make the space looks virtually big. Hotels usually follow a particular colour theme if they are part of a chain and it is more leaning towards beige, greens and blue or other subtle cool colour schemes. This makes the space look fresh, clean and minimalist.
The lighting of any space is very crucial as it may make the room look beautiful or dull. Light requirements of different areas are different. For example, the main lobby of the hotel should be more lit than the restaurant, as the ambience desired is different respectively. The restaurant requires a warm, cosy ambience and hence, has dim lights or mood lights. The main lobby requires more illumination as it is the directive zone to different areas of the hotel. They can have huge chandeliers, ceiling lights, picture lights to enhance the artwork displayed in the corridors. The toilets are brightly lit with yellow or white lights. Bedrooms have different kinds of lights, viz. reading lights, night lamps, ambience lights, etc.
It is very important for all spaces to be married to each other for the right message to reach the guests and this responsibility rests with the design and decor complimented by the service of the hotel.
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